6 Reasons Big Girls Can and Should Run

There seems to be a common dialogue out there that larger people shouldn’t run. Since I have spent many years training people to run, specifically those with larger bodies, I am committed to smashing this notion.

My 9-year-old son told me they are learning about stereotypes in his classroom. He gave some examples around race and age. I thought that was pretty cool but noted that he didn't mention body size, a subtler source of stereotyping that we often forget about, despite the strong influence of size bias. As a personal trainer (who specializes in working with plus-size clients), I face false assumptions about bodies of size every day.

One of the them is: Fat people shouldn’t run.

It’s bad for your joints.

It’s too strenuous.

You will get injured.

You might have a heart attack.

I’ve really heard it all.

While some of these risks might be true for fat people, they can also be true for thin people. We shouldn’t warn an entire demographic of the potential hazards of running based on the assumption that their bodies can’t cope with the demand. This actually robs millions of people from the highs and benefits of running just because we’ve grown accustomed to these blanket statements.

Anyone who does run can attest that corrals at 5Ks, 10Ks, and marathons brim with diversity in age, ability, and size. If only our society had the opportunity to see this more widely reflected in our visual landscape, we may better understand that size and athleticism can conincide.

Running was the catalyst that changed my life, and it is why I am so passionate to champion every body who is curious about running to lace up.

Here are six reasons why big girls can and should run:

1. Running builds confidence.

Running drew me closer to body love and confidence. Through running, I stopped weighing myself and started working toward being my best athletic self. It became all about performance and athleticism over size reduction and expenditure. Running built a better relationship between my mind and my body because my worth was no longer tied to my appearance. It became tied to my physical and mental power.

Anna O’Brian of Instagram fame at Glitterandlazers says, “If I listened to all the people that said I shouldn’t and couldn’t run then I would have missed out on truly knowing what my body is capable of. Now I am reminded every day that I can do the impossible and that I already have … by being a fat girl running”.

2. Triumph feels amazing.

Jill Grunewald, author of Running With a Police Escort: Tales From the Back of the Pack, proves that being a slow runner takes as much guts and heart as being an Olympic champion. Jill started running at over 300 pounds and has proudly completed countless races at the back of the pack. It doesn’t matter how fast you go; there’s great triumph in training, participating, and finishing a race goal and it’s available to every body.

3. Running is healthy and simple.

Here I quote Mirna Valerio, a big girl, ultramarathoner, author of A Beautiful Work in Progress, and an icon for larger women in the running community. She says she runs for the simplicity and health benefits:

“It’s a simple sport that does not require any special equipment, it’s a great way to get from point A to point B and a fantastic gateway to many other activities.”

What is important to remember is that Mirna started out as a new runner with no experience and worked her way up to 100K, in a fat body!

4. When you run, you're smashing stereotypes.

Simply by running in public in a larger body, we smash all kinds of stereotypes. The power of visual representation of someone who is fat and crushing the miles at the track disrupts stereotypical thinking. The more we disrupt the stereotypes and ideals before us, the more we become the norm. Public Service Announcement: You deserve to take up space at the track, the race or at the club.

5. Running builds mental strength.

Running is a great way to build mental strength and positive thinking. While running you will push yourself physically and when you think you're hitting the wall, the power of positive thinking will get you to the finish line. There are many times I’ve been at the 11th mile and my body is rebelling, but my inner dialogue is chanting You are an athlete, you are a champion. When my body has wanted to give in, my thoughts are what saved the day.

Negativity destroys performance and through running, fat or thin, you will learn to build the skill of mental strength and positivity. “Running has taught me so much about the capabilities of my body and the strength and weaknesses of my mind," says Julie Creffield, marathoner and founder of the website Fat Girls' Guide to Running, "but there are so many barriers for fat women to enjoy this sport and this is something that has to change.”

6. Your body is a vehicle for social change.

Larger women have been excluded from our visual landscape and left out of most fitness media and advertising. Most media and advertisers choose to keep larger bodies invisible despite the fact that 67 percent of North American women are a size 14 or larger. The social injustice is twofold. First, when this demographic is invisible, it creates a biased society. It gives the perception that fat people are not capable or interested in running and reaffirms the stereotype that we are lazy and unhealthy. The truth is, size diversity is abundant at every race I have attended.